Deploying Superdesk

Introduction

Superdesk is a state-of-the-art, open-source newsroom management system developed by Sourcefabric. It provides a complete end-to-end workflow for news production, from content creation through editorial review to multi-channel publishing.

Key highlights of Superdesk:

Editorial Workflow: Complete content lifecycle management from draft to publication
Multi-Channel Publishing: Publish to web, mobile, print, and social media from a single platform
Real-Time Collaboration: Multiple editors can work on content simultaneously
News Agency Integration: Support for IPTC NewsML-G2 and other industry standards
Content Planning: Editorial calendar and story assignment tools
Rich Media Support: Manage images, video, and audio assets
Customizable Desks: Create specialized workspaces for different teams
API-First Design: Comprehensive REST API for integrations
Multilingual Support: Built-in support for multiple languages

This guide walks through deploying Superdesk on Klutch.sh using Docker.

Why Deploy Superdesk on Klutch.sh

Deploying Superdesk on Klutch.sh provides several advantages:

Simplified Deployment: Klutch.sh automatically detects your Dockerfile and builds Superdesk without complex orchestration.

Persistent Storage: Attach persistent volumes for content, media assets, and databases.

HTTPS by Default: Secure access for your editorial team from anywhere.

GitHub Integration: Connect your configuration repository for automatic redeployments.

Prerequisites

Before deploying Superdesk on Klutch.sh, ensure you have:

A Klutch.sh account
A GitHub account with a repository for your Superdesk configuration
Basic familiarity with Docker and containerization concepts
MongoDB, Elasticsearch, and Redis instances (can be deployed on Klutch.sh)

Deploying Superdesk on Klutch.sh

Create Your Repository

Create a new GitHub repository with a Dockerfile for Superdesk:

FROM sourcefabric/superdesk:latest

ENV MONGO_URI=${MONGO_URI}
ENV ELASTICSEARCH_URL=${ELASTICSEARCH_URL}
ENV REDIS_URL=${REDIS_URL}
ENV SECRET_KEY=${SECRET_KEY}
ENV DEFAULT_TIMEZONE=UTC

EXPOSE 5000
EXPOSE 5050

VOLUME ["/var/lib/superdesk"]

Push to GitHub

Initialize and push your repository to GitHub with your Dockerfile.

Create a New Project on Klutch.sh

Navigate to the Klutch.sh dashboard and create a new project.

Create a New App

Within your project, create a new app and connect your GitHub repository.

Configure HTTP Traffic

In the deployment settings:

Select HTTP as the traffic type
Set the internal port to 5050 (client interface)

Set Environment Variables

Configure the following environment variables:

Variable	Value
`MONGO_URI`	Your MongoDB connection string
`ELASTICSEARCH_URL`	Your Elasticsearch URL
`REDIS_URL`	Your Redis connection string
`SECRET_KEY`	Generate with `openssl rand -hex 32`
`DEFAULT_TIMEZONE`	Your preferred timezone

Attach Persistent Volumes

Add the following volumes:

Mount Path	Recommended Size	Purpose
`/var/lib/superdesk`	50 GB	Media assets and uploads

Deploy Your Application

Click Deploy to start the build process.

Access Superdesk

Once deployment completes, access the Superdesk client at your app URL.

Configuration

Initial Setup

After deployment, create your first admin user:

Access the application
Use the setup wizard to create the initial administrator account
Configure your first desk and user roles

Creating Desks

Desks are specialized workspaces for different editorial teams:

News Desk: Breaking news and current events
Sports Desk: Sports coverage
Features Desk: Long-form content
Photo Desk: Image curation and management

Publishing Channels

Configure publishing destinations:

Navigate to Settings > Publish
Add subscriber endpoints for your websites and apps
Configure content delivery formats

Additional Resources

Conclusion

Deploying Superdesk on Klutch.sh gives you a professional newsroom management system with automatic builds, persistent storage, and secure HTTPS access. Manage your entire editorial workflow from content creation to multi-channel publishing.